


The Shortcut

by ExpectoPatronum74



Category: Teen Wolf (TV), teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe-Canon Divergence, Angst, Brief mention of the Hale Fire, Clumsy Stiles Stilinski, Cool coffee recipes to try, Derek and Stiles are Mates, Fluff, Full Shift Werewolves, Hurt Derek, Hurt Stiles, Hurt/Comfort, Issac gets a friend, Issac works in a cat cafe, Kissing, Lydia is a Good Friend, M/M, Protective Derek, Protective Stiles, Scott is a Good Friend, Stiles Feels, Stiles POV, Stiles Stilinski Doesn't Know About Werewolves, Wolf Derek, sterek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2018-09-20 00:49:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9468086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExpectoPatronum74/pseuds/ExpectoPatronum74
Summary: Stiles takes a shortcut through the woods on his way home from work one stormy night and meets an unexpected creature.Can this chance encounter help him get through the tough life altering changes that go along with graduating high school and having all of his friends leave for different universities around the country? Will Stiles find comfort and hope from the one person who has lost all hope on his journey of self discovery, or will they come together to fill in the missing pieces in each other's lives?





	1. Stormy Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Teen Wolf or the characters.  
> I do however feel attached to the characters in my story.  
> Thank you for taking your time to read this little story.  
> Please let me know what you think.  
> 

* * *

 

Stiles is breathing heavily and feels the burning stitch in his side as he runs blindly down the rocky dirt path. He can't tell how far behind the creature in pursuit is to him as he stumbles through the heavily forested preserve. He knows that it was not the best idea to walk through the preserve at night, but after missing the last bus back into Beacon Hills and a storm threatening to break at any minute, he felt this was his last best option.

Of course his cell phone battery is dead after his epic six hour binge playing of Words with Friends with Lydia and Scott. Scott lost every single time but Stiles could never beat Lydia despite him scoring a 1500 on the SATs. That girl was a genius on a whole other level with an early acceptance into Harvard, and on top of that being the Homecoming and Prom Queen of the Senior Class of 2014.

His boss, Mr. Harris, caught him playing on his phone towards the end of his shift and decided that "if he had time to lean, he had time to clean". Didn't he know that he only made ten dollars in tips tonight, and for the $2.13/hour he was getting paid by Harris, time to clean meant "Stiles Slave Labor". If only that asshole hadn't made him scrub down the entire restaurant from top to bottom, he wouldn't have missed the last bus, and he wouldn't be running from some unknown creature in the dark woods now!

Lightning flashes overhead through the treetops illuminating the dark storm clouds that have been amassing since he began walking a half and hour ago. " Great thinking " Stiles mutters to himself just as the rain starts to pour down drenching his uniform. "Take a shortcut through the woods... in the rain... This always turns out well for the characters in horror movies, not to mention, Jason Vorhees or Freddie Kruger is chasing after me."

Behind him he hears a low rumbling growl causing him throw his head back over his shoulder in fear. Searching for the impending doom he knows is close behind, he dashes wildly around a large boulder on the edge of the trail and begins to run faster down the rocky sloped embankment towards the stream. He feels the muddy slope start to give way due to deluge of water running down hill. A moment later a flash of lightning strikes a tree less fifty feet to the right causing him to scream out in surprise. A large branch crashes down into his path knocking him down the steep embankment.

Tumbling through scrub brush and mud he hears thunder roaring overhead as his descent comes to an abrupt halt at the edge of the stream. He feels like the world is spinning out of control as the darkness closes in on him. The last thing he sees as he slowly slips into the black inky abyss, is a pair of large red glowing eyes.

 

* * *

 

Slowly coming into awareness Stile begins to think … I am warm… I am alive… I don't feel any broken bones…I am naked…Holy Shit! I am naked! Why am I naked! Stiles thinks feverishly . He moves his hand around in the semi-darkened room searching for his missing articles of clothing when he brushes against something large and furry. Snatching his hand back he rolls over to look at what he touched with his hand, and he comes nose to nose with a giant dog. He rubs his eyes with his fist trying to clear his vision, and thinks to himself that it is a giant dog that looks like a wolf in size and color, but certainly it can't be a wolf, or I would be a human sized chew bone!

The wolf sized dog slowly opens one eye glancing at the boy and lets out a small huff that seems to say "go back to sleep".

Stiles, not sure that he believes what he is seeing, says to the beast" You are not going to eat me are you?"

The wolf opens it's eyes halfway and gives a snort that seems to say" You wouldn't be very tasty",then gives a shake of his head before resting it back on his oversized paws and closing his eyes again.

Stiles raises both eyebrows in question to the seemingly intelligent reactions of the large dog. " Well you don't seem like you want to eat me, but maybe you just had a big dinner and are not hungry yet".

The wolf fully opened both eyes and let out a larger huff followed by an even larger mischievous grin.

Stiles chuckles like he is unsure what the grin means and says. "I sure would like to know what happened to my clothes. I am not even sure how I got here…where ever HERE is" he says quizzically. He turns his head slowly taking in his surroundings . He is sitting on an old worn brown fleece blanket laid out on the debris strewn concrete floor. The paint on the cinderblock walls are chipped from years of disrepair. The only light source in the room are embers glowing in an old stone fireplace from a fire that has long since burned itself out.

He turns back to the sleeping animal and says "All I remember is falling down that embankment and seeing those red eyes... oh no! I bet the creature captured me and dragged me here to its' lair. It probably left you to guard me until it gets back."

With that the wolf slowly opens its eyes again, staring at the panicked boy. "Are you like some kind of hellhound, bound to do the evil one's bidding?". Stiles feeling the start of a panic attack coming on begins frantically look around for a way out of the strange room when all of a sudden the wolf plants both paws on his shirtless chest pushing him back down onto the warm blanket.

Stiles freezes, he did not even hear the wolf move from its resting place. Here it comes, he thinks, I am about to be eaten by a wolf! Stiles shuts his eyes tightly waiting to feel the wolf's large teeth clamp down on his throat when all of a sudden a large pink tongue comes out of the wolf's mouth and begins to lick him in the face!

"Gross!" Stiles exclaims as the warm rough tongue licks him from chin to forehead. He tries to push the wolf's head away from his own,but the wolf is stronger. Stiles begins to card his fingers through the soft hair on the wolf's head and neck thinking about the strange new friend that has come into his life.

The wolf continues licking Stiles until his heartbeat slows down and the panic attack recedes.

He begins giggling and says" Ok! Ok… enough…that tickles!"

 

Realizing that he actually feels calmer, Stiles sits up, takes a deep breath, and says to the wolf " Come on Sourwolf, lets go find my clothes and get out of this dark room".

The wolf gives a snort and a tilt of the head and sits up next to the boy.

"Don't you like your new name boy?" he asks, "You don't really seem like a Todd, or a Scout, or even a Old Yeller" Stiles snickers.

The wolf just looks up at Stiles like he has just tasted something rotten and lays his ears back.

"Yep, Sourwolf it is, you look like you just bit into a lemon!" Stiles exclaimed as he scratched the wolf behind the ears, causing him to let out a small whine. " Well lets go boy, I need to get home before my dad, the sheriff, drags all of his deputies out here looking for me".

Slowly getting to his feet, Stiles grabs the blanket, shakes it out, and wraps it around his body. " What are you waiting for boy?"

The wolf stands up and gently grabs Stiles hand in his mouth and begins to lead him forward in the darkening room.

When Stiles realizes that the wolf can probably see in the low light and knows how to get out, he says "Hey boy let me just grab onto your fur instead of you slobbering all over my hand".

The wolf drops the boy's hand and gives out a loud snort that seems to say " I don't slobber!" The wolf moves against Stiles right side until he finds purchase in the wolf's long hair around his neck. The wolf began to slowly guide him through what Stiles can only think of as some sort of upward slopping concrete tunnel.

 

* * *

After a few minutes of walking in near darkness, Stiles begins to notice that the tunnel is getting a little lighter, and he can begin to make out that there are other rooms leading off of the tunnel every so often. Stiles wonders how he got to this strange place, and how he came to be in the presence of this seemingly intelligent wolf.

"Hey there boy, are we close to getting out of here"?

The wolf just huffs and gives a small flick of his large head in the direction that they are walking.

After what seems like twenty minutes of slow steady uphill walking, the tunnel gradually becomes light enough that he is more self conscious of the ugly purple bruises and angry red scratches that he got from his nasty fall down the embankment.

"Wow, I really took a tumble last night!" Stiles says. "It's a wonder I didn't break my neck".

The wolf stops walking and let's out a small whine. He licks a particularly nasty cut on the human's knee.

Stiles lets out a relaxed sigh as he feels the pain in his knee slowly fade from his abused joint. " Thanks boy, that really helped" .

The wolf turns and continues walking up the tunnel.

 

A short time later, the wolf leads Stiles into one of the rooms off of the tunnel and he sees that this room has an old washer and dryer stacked in the back corner.

"Well what do we have here?" he says to the wolf when they stop right in front of the dryer. "Are you telling me my clothes are in here?".

Stiles cautiously reaches for the door and pulls it open revealing his missing clothes and shoes. Pulling out the freshly washed clothes he had on the day before, Stiles wonders aloud "Who would have washed and dried all of my clothes?"

The wolf just sat down and stares at the curious teen as if he would eventually wise up and figure it out.

Stiles quickly dresses and continued to talk to the wolf " Maybe aliens did it…or it could have been some weird old hermit … or fairies … or maybe you did it Sourwolf!"

The wolf continues to stare at him with each insane idea he says until he guesses the wolf was responsible for his clean boxers, and he gives the boy his sly wolffish grin again. That puts an end to the human's incessant guessing game.  

"You did it wolfie?" Stiles grins, "Yeah ok I guess I can believe that over aliens or fairies ". Stiles finishes tying his shoes, stands up, and says " Where to next boy?"

The wolf gets up and walks out of the room, and Stiles follows with a laugh.

 

* * *

 

Heading out of the tunnel and into the bright light of the mid morning sun, Stiles is temporarily blinded and has to stop walking and shield his eyes with his hand. After a few minutes of staring down at the dirt, he looks up and sees that he is standing next to the ruins of an old two story house that had been destroyed in a fire.

"This is the old Hale mansion" Stiles mutters quietly to himself.

The wolf turns and looks back at him and whimpers softly.

"You would have like them Sourwolf, they were one of the nicest families in Beacon Hills" Stiles says. "Rumor has it the Derek Hale is back in town now. I wonder if he comes around this place anymore?"

The wolf comes over to Stiles and licks his hand and nudges his head into his leg. Stiles sits down on a crumbling brick column and strokes the wolf's fur.

"Maybe you will meet him someday Wolfie. I had a crush on him since I was six years old. His sister used to babysit me when I was little, and I would spend time out here following Derek around like a puppy. He would play with me sometimes, but I am sure he just did it to be nice." Stiles sighs remembering the young man fondly.

The wolf just stares intensely into his eyes as he continues his journey down memory lane.

"Then my mom got really sick, that's when Derek started hanging around me more, making sure I was ok, eating my dinner, helping with my homework. I started spending most nights at the Hale's house when my mom ended up in the hospital. I had nightmares most nights and Derek let me sleep with him to keep them away. After she died, Derek became my rock."

Tears slowly fall from his face as the wolf nuzzles his head into the boy's stomach.

"Not very long afterwards, a fire destroyed the Hale house along with all of the family. Only Laura and Derek survived. Laura was out of school, and moved Derek with her to New York. I was heartbroken, I lost my mom to cancer, my dad was hitting the bottle pretty hard, my second family to the fire, and my protector and best friend to New York. God I miss him." Stiles wipes his eyes with his shirt and looks down into the wolf's eyes. "I heard that he moved back to Beacon Hills after his sister was killed. I wonder if he remembers me?" Stiles sighs.

"He probably has some hot girlfriend now. He was very attractive at sixteen, and I bet he is even hotter now! Maybe I'll look him up and see if he wants to hang out, or go to a movie, or maybe on a date"

The wolf gives another sly grin and stands up, dragging the boy to his feet by his shirttail.

"Ok Sourwolf lets go home" Stiles says and smiles as he begins walking down the path that he knows will lead him to the back part of his subdivision.

The wolf walks quietly beside him matching his leisurely pace.

 

Coming over the next hill he sees that he is at the stream where he fell the night before. Looking around at all of the upturned trees and broken branches he said "It looked like a tornado blasted through here last night".

The wolf looked at the human with his ears low and made a small growling sound.

"It's a good thing that you found me out there when you did or I could have been a goner!" Stiles said.

The wolf whines at this and licks Stiles hand.

Stiles takes the wolf's head in both his hands and bends down and looks into his hazel eyes and says" Thank you friend… I don't know how I can ever repay you." and with that he places a small kiss on the wolf's head and gets to his feet.

The wolf turns and walks away down the dirt pathway leading back towards Beacon Hills and disappears quietly into the trees.

"Come back boy…where you going so fast?" Stiles says as he quickly tries to follow after the wolf but soon realizes the he will never catch the faster animal. "PLEASE COME BACK" Stiles shouts, but he knows it's no good, the wolf is gone.

Stiles starts walking after a few minutes when he thinks the wolf is gone for good. He hears what sounds like a large group of people shouting something he can't quite understand. Walking towards the noise, it dawns on him that it is a search party out looking for him.

  
"STILES!" "STILES CAN YOU HEAR ME?" a group of people shout.

"Oh no " Stiles thinks, that last one sounds like his dad,and he sounded worried.

"STILES!"

"DAD!" Stiles yells back. "I'M OVER HERE!"

  
"STILES, STILES " his dad yells as he comes running out of the trees a few minutes later.

  
"Dad, I am so glad you found me… I got caught out in the storm and I tripped and fell down an embankment, and my phone is dead too!" Stiles rambles on to his dad as the older man grabs him up into the biggest bear hug he's ever had.

  
"I am so glad you are alright. I was worried when you didn't call last night after your shift, and then that big storm came through here and blew down a lot of trees and caused power lines to be knocked down." Stile's dad hugs him tighter. "I came home this morning after my shift and discovered you weren't home. I got worried and called Scott and Lydia hoping you had stayed with one of them. They both said they hadn't heard from you since before your shift ended, so I called that jerk of a boss of your's down at the diner. That's when he said that the last time he saw you was when he drove past you walking into the preserve." Stiles dad looks exasperated as he asks his next question " What would posses you to walk through the woods alone, at night, in a storm?"

  
Stiles let go of his father as he looks down sheepishly and says " Dad, I missed the last bus, and it is a longer walk around the preserve than it is if I take a shortcut trough it, plus it was about to storm".

  
"Yeah, I let that weasel, Mr. Harris, know the next time he passes you walking at night, in a storm no less, he will have to deal with me!" Stile's dad says patting his son on the shoulder. " NO ONE messes with Sheriff Stilinski's son!"

  
"Thanks Dad". A smirking Stiles replies with a sigh. "Can we go home now? I am tired and had a night you wouldn't believe".

  
"Let's get you home and cleaned up. You probably could do with some Stilinski chocolate chip pancakes too!" His dad says. "Your friends are waiting to see you."

  
"Hey dad, do you know if Derek Hale is back in town?" Stiles asks with one raised eyebrow.

  
"Not sure son, why do you ask?" The sheriff asks with concern on his face.

  
"Oh, no reason" Stiles says with a sly grin spreading across his face.

The sheriff looks at his son and snorts when Stiles wags his eyebrows. He slaps his arm around Stiles shoulder as they begin to go back down the path.

After an hour of walking, the sheriff manages to radio in to his deputies searching for his son, that Stiles was found safe and they were returning home.

As they round the last corner before coming up to the road where the sheriff's cruiser is parked, Stiles hears off in the distance the lonely long howling of a wolf. Stiles thinks of the beautiful kind hearted creature with the soft fur and hazel eyes, and what a miracle it was that he rescued him last night.

Stiles smiles sadly to himself as he opens the front passenger door to the cruiser and sends out a small prayer of thanks to his guardian angel…no his guardian wolf. Stiles sits down and shuts the door. As the cruiser pulls away Stiles whispers towards the dark path he just left, "Goodbye Sourwolf my friend, I will miss you."

 


	2. Losing is Winning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles deals with the emotional turmoil of Lydia and Scott leaving early for college at the end of Senior Year. Stiles discovers an old friend in need and helps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation of what was to be my first stand alone story "The Shortcut", but I felt that Stiles and Sourwolf had more to say. Thank you to all of the readers, kind comments, and for all the Kudos! It really did give me the confidence to keep writing. I am having to beta this myself so all mistakes are my own. I hope you like it. More chapters to come soon, but I have a crazy full time job! Nothing like writing until the wee hours in the morning! Keep the comments and Kudos coming, they are truly inspiring!
> 
> I do not own Teen Wolf or it's characters, I just love them, especially Stiles and Derek.

* * *

 The last month of Senior Year seemed to fly by since Stiles had his mysterious encounter with the wolf in the woods. Stiles had aced all of his final exams and even earned some college credit from doing well in his AP Courses.

He went to Senior Prom with his best friends Scott McCall and Lydia Martin, who both had dates. He ended up going stag because Scott finally persuaded him that prom was a rite of passage and he needed to go or end up regretting it for the rest of his life. That was easy for Scott to say, he was charming, easy on the eye, and had a date. The highlight of the evening was when he got Lydia to dance with him to Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off". The whole school gathered around them in a circle to watch their outrageous dance moves, giving them a standing ovation at the end of the production. Lydia was promptly whisked away by Jackson soon after the crowd dispersed, leaving Stiles solo again for the rest of the evening.

That was two weeks ago, school is over, graduation has come and gone, and Stiles is helping his best friends pack for college. Both are leaving tomorrow for the start of summer term. Lydia has already packed her things and shipped them to Harvard to be delivered when she gets to Boston. Scott on the other hand has completely put off packing to the last minute and now needs both of their help, while his mother finishes making purchases at Bed Bath and Beyond for dorm essentials.

Scott and Stiles are both going to UC Davis and are going to share a dorm room together. Scott has to start next week with the veterinary medicine program and his new internship that he got from a colleague of Dr. Deaton, where he works now. Stiles will be studying Forensic Pathology and it doesn't require an early summer program, so he is staying in Beacon Hills to work and save money before starting school in the fall.  
  
This means that after tonight all of Stile's friends will be gone from Beacon Hills, with the exception for the rare occasion when their schedules align, he can share a meal with his dad and fall asleep on the couch watching old Alfred Hitchcock tv reruns. He will be alone and friendless. Stiles puts this thought out of his mind for now, he is not going to ruin their last evening together thinking about the next few months.

"Stiles, pass me an empty box." Scotts says as he zips close the suitcase he just finished packing in his usually devil may care way.

Lydia, looks at the hastily packed bag with disgust as she goes back to filing her perfectly manicured nails. "Scott, are you sure that all of those clothes are even clean?"

"Yeah" Scott says accepting the box handed to him by Stiles. "Mostly" he says shrugging as he starts to fill the empty box with clothes piled on the floor in his closet.

"Boys" Lydia mutters not looking up from her nails. "So Stiles, what are your plans for the rest of the summer? "

 _A life of solitary confinement, boredom, and hell on earth._ Stiles thinks to himself but says "I am working the night shift at the diner now since I got promoted to assistant manager, so that will mean more money for college. I am planning on finally reorganizing my comic book collection. "

Lydia rolls her eyes "Wow Stiles, you do lead an exciting life!"

"Come on Lyds, you know how exciting it is around here. I'll have tons to do to keep me busy between taking care of dad, work, and getting ready for school myself. Hell, I may even go out on a date or two and meet Prince Charming". Stiles says grinning madly.

"As if!"Lydia and Scott shout in unison, both grabbing pairs of socks out of the box and flinging them at Stile's head while laughing. Stiles ducks the onslaught of flying footwear until a well aimed sock thrown by Lydia catches him right in the face. He foolishly acts out a three minute death scene declaring his revenge on her family's bloodline before dramatically falling to the ground. All three teens are caught up in a fit of the giggles at the ridiculousness of it all, and have to hold their sides to catch their breath.

After a few minutes have passed and the laughing has stopped, Lydia says "Don't forget you promised that you are going to come up to Boston for the Labor Day weekend, my treat." getting up from the bed and pulling the boys into a hug. " You know I don't really do emotional farewells, but I am going to miss you guys." She turns and kisses Stiles on the cheek and says " Keep your head up, its only for a couple of months and then you will be having the time of you life at UC Davis with Scott." She turns to Scott ruffles his hair and says "Watch out for Stiles up there, he's bound to get his self into all sorts of trouble without me." She turns back to Stiles smiling and says "Make sure Scott has clean clothes... I am not so sure they will be when you get there in the fall." Lydia turns and walks through the bedroom door giving a little wink back to Stiles over her shoulder, blowing a kiss their way, she walks down the hall and out of the house.

Moments later Stiles gets a text from Lydia saying *Don't forget to call me if you need me.*

 

* * *

 

Stiles and Scott spend the next three hours eating pizza, packing the rest of Scott's belongings, and going through the new purchases his mom brought home from the store. When everything was finally packed and loaded in to Melissa's minivan it was well past two am.

Stiles getting ready to leave, turns and gives his best friend a hug and says " Well I guess that's everything. Take care of yourself out there man. I'll see you in a couple of months."

Scott looking down at a rock he is kicking in the driveway slowly lifts his head and his face looks like someone stole his puppy. A tear starts to fall down his cheek as he mutters " This will be the longest that we have ever been apart since that time you got the measles in 3rd grade. I am going to miss you bro".

"Don't you dare cry Scott! If you start crying, then I will start crying, and we will both be a crying, blubbering mess out here in the streets!" Stiles exclaims. "You are going to go and meet a bunch of great people, and find all the cool places to hang out. You are going to have a big group of friends and brag to them about how cool and great I am, so that when I get there in the fall, we will be the most popular freshmen on campus!" Stiles pats Scott on the back while the other teen is wiping the tears from his face with his shirt.

"We can still Skype and play video games online together" Scott says snuffling a bit as he smiles at Stiles.

"Of course we can buddy, who else is going to let you beat them at Mario Kart every so often just to keep your spirits up?" Stiles says laughing wiping the tear that was forming in his eye.

"Whatever dude, You can't beat me if I am playing Princess Peach!" Scott says grinning and punching Stiles playfully in the arm.

"Give me a hug bro, and cheer up. Fall will be here before you know it." Stiles says thinking sadly to himself about how both Lydia and Scott will be gone before sunrise tomorrow. They will be starting their next new adventure without him. Sure they will keep in touch at first, but how long would it be before their new lives became to hectic and busy for them to have time for him?

"Later Alligator" Scott says, turning and walking slowly back into the house.

"After while Crocodile" Stiles says waving to his friend watching the door close and porch light turn off. This has been their traditional goodbye to each other since they were in kindergarten. He wonders if it is the last time they will say it.

Stiles starts walking the couple of blocks back to his house. Unable to hold back the tidal wave of guilt and emotion he has been holding onto all evening, he feels a rush of hot tears running down his face before he gets to the end of the street. He has been keeping a secret from Scott and Lydia the last couple of weeks. Due to budget cutbacks in the sheriff department, Style's dad was forced to lay off two deputies and take a pay cut to keep from having to let go of two more.

His financial aid and small police scholarship that he received for school is not enough to cover room and board, tuition, meal plan and books for the upcoming semester. So he had spent the last couple of weeks applying for every scholarship or grant he could find. All but one sent back rejection letters saying that he could reapply next year. His hope of attending UC Davis in the fall were riding on one final decision, and that scholarship rejection letter came in yesterday, killing any dreams he had at attending school in the fall.

He deferred his enrollment into school for one year due to financial hardship, and applied online at the local community college so that he could keep his small scholarship and not let the year go by without earning some college credit. He was not lying when he said we would be starting classes in the fall, it just was not going to be with Scott at UC Davis. He would have to put his adventure on hold.

His spirits crushed he did the only thing he could do, man up, take on more responsibility at work with the night shift promotion , and start saving money.

Turning down the last street before his, he hears a light padding of feet on the asphalt somewhere just behind him. He turns to see a wolf stepping out of the shadows of the woods and onto the street not more than four steps behind him. Stiles, not scared, this is not just any wolf, but can it really be? "Sourwolf?" Stiles chokes out, the tears still coming down his face. "Is it really you boy?" Stiles asks quizzically as the wolf closes the distance and nuzzles his head against Stiles' thigh.

"I thought I would never see you again?" Stiles says bending down and scratching the wolf behind the ears. "Where have you been?"

The wolf came to him every night in his dreams and he felt that there was a bond between them that was almost spiritual. Since his encounter with the wolf more than a month ago, Stiles had been back out in the preserve looking for any sign of the wolf any chance he could get. He would be riding with his dad into town and think he would catch a glimpse of the wolf running along in the trees near the road, but always,when he would turn his head to look, there would be nothing there. Stiles was beginning to think that maybe he had made the whole experience up in his head.

The wolf lets out a small whine and continues to rub his head on the teen's leg sniffing him.

Stiles takes a closer look at the wolf and sees that he looks a lot different since he had seen him a month before. The wolf looks gaunt and his ribs are showing like he hadn't eaten in weeks. His fur is dirty and has dried blood matted in it where it looks like he has been in some kind of fight recently. The wolf also seems to be favoring it's back left leg when it walks which made Stiles think it has been hurt.

" Come on boy, I am going to get you something to eat and get you cleaned up. That spot on your neck looks like it might be infected." Stiles stands up and slowly as to not startle the wolf, and starts to walk slowly back towards his house that is only a couple feet away.

The wolf stands there looking at the teen and glancing back into the woods before letting out another small whine that hurts Stiles' heart to hear.

"Come on Sourwolf, you saved my life, now it's my turn to help you. Come on boy I want to help you." Stiles says with a look of love in his eyes. "You are all I have left. Please don't leave me too." Stiles whispers to himself as the tears start to flow again. Thinking that the wolf is going to disappear into the trees again, Stiles turns to leave. He can't bare to watch the wolf run away again. He is an emotional mess, he doesn't think he can handle losing the wolf again so soon after just finding him, especially tonight when he just said goodbye to his two best friends.

He hears a small whimper behind him as the wolf slowly limps to catch up as Stiles walks the short distance to his house.

On the front porch, Stiles says to the wolf, "I am going to open the door and then I am going to pick you up so that you don't have to climb these stairs. I will take you to my room and get you cleaned up. Don't bite me ok? I won't hurt you."

The wolf gives a small huff that says "I know, I trust you" and quietly lets Stiles lift him up and carry him into the house.

Stiles carries the wolf inside and up the stairs into his bedroom. The wolf is heavier than he looks despite the obvious malnutrition, but he is determined not to jostle the creature too much least he forget his manners and take a small bite out of his neck.

He sets the wolf down on the small rug next to his bed and runs downstairs to shut and lock the door. While downstairs he looks in the refrigerator and sees that there is some raw hamburger that he was going to make for dinner the next evening. He grabs it and a bowl along with a bottle of water for his old friend's meal.

Running back up the stairs and into his room he sees that the wolf is no longer on the rug, but curled up on his bed with his head on his favorite pillow. "Comfortable I see." He says to the wolf. "I was hoping to give you a bath before you got in the bed, but I see you have no manners." Stiles laughs

The wolf snorts into the pillow and rolls over to look at what treats are in the teen's hand.

"I see you are at least hungry, Wolfie boy". Stiles says placing the plate of meat on the bed next to the wolf. "Try not to get that all over the blankets" Stiles says laughing merrily as the wolf begins to devour the meat, bits of hamburger flying in all directions.

When he is done, Stiles sets the bowl on the floor, cracks open the lid to the bottle, and pours the water in the bowl, filling it to the brim. "I am not giving you water in bed after seeing how you eat" he says to the wolf.

The wolf gingerly hops down and begins to messily drink and spill all of the water from the bowl.

"Come on Sourwolf, time for your bath." he says guiding the wolf to the bathroom gathering several large fluffy towels from the hall closet on the way.

Stiles fills the tub with warm water and lots of bubbles. He places the wolf into the center of it where he just sits stoically while Stiles scrubs and rinses the wolf clean. Stiles cautiously washes out the wound on his neck and gently gets the blood and mud out of his matted fur. After the tub is drained of muddy soapy water for the second time, Stiles deems the wolf to be clean enough for bed.

Just as he turns to grab the large towel to dry off the soaked wolf, Stiles is drenched from head to toe by the wolf who decided now was the time to give a full body shake!

"Yuck Wolfie! Now I need a shower!" Stiles strips out of his clothes and pulls the shower curtain shut. Stiles begin singing  _"Bang Bang into the room, I know you want it. Bang Bang all over you, I'll let you have it"_  as he takes his shower.

The wolf looks at the curtain in dismay as Stiles sings out of tune, butchering the Ariana Grande Hit. The wolf rolls around in his towel further drying himself off and covering his ears with his paws, when the shower is turned off and the curtain opens to reveal a very naked and wet Stiles. He promptly stands up, walks over to the naked teen and sticks his nose between Stiles legs sniffing deeply.

"Whoa there!" Stiles shouts, trying to push the warm nose out of his exposed crotch. "Get back boy" Stiles says grabbing a dry towel from the counter and wrapping it quickly around his waist. "You wait here while I go change clothes and the bedding you messed up."

The wolf lets out a small whine and lays down on the bath rug while Stiles edges his way out the door.

Ten minutes later Stiles and Sourwolf are laying in his bed. Stiles in a pair of worn sweatpants and a blue T-shirt with the word "STUD" and a cartoon muffin on it. The wolf is laying on his right side against the wall down by his feet. The wolf has it's eyes closed and it is breathing steadily. Stiles is staring up at the ceiling thinking about the new adventures awaiting Scott and Lydia in their new lives. A silent tear slides down his cheek. Stiles wipes it away and rolls over on his side to face the wall and closes his eyes. Just as he is drifting off to sleep he feels the wolf climb up to the top of the bed and presses his body into his stomach. Stiles wraps his arms around the wolf, hugging him to his chest and has a fleeting thought of how tomorrow might just be the start of a new adventure for him as well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have some ideas for what is going to happen next but I would love to hear from you, the reader! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


	3. Running Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No Scott or Lydia, was last night a dream or is it just Stile's imagination running wild?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came to me quickly tonight. Enjoy!

 

* * *

 

* _Stiles is laying in the sand, looking out into the endless blue sparkling waters of the Pacific Ocean. The sun is just dipping down into the horizon where the water meets the orange hue sky filled with red streaked clouds.*_

_*The rhythmic sound of waves crashing along the rocky shore and the distant cry of seagulls lull him into a hypnotic sense of peace and tranquility. *_

_*He takes a deep breath in, relishing the smell of the salty breeze, his coconut sunscreen, and his partner's aftershave mixed with sweat, and releases it as the remaining tension in his shoulders and neck slip away.*_

_*He is warm, relaxed, and intertwining his fingers with those of his true love laying beside him while his left hand is lazily tracing a heart in the sun warmed sand…*_ "Stiles"

* _He tilts his head to the right, slowly opening his eyes to look at the face he knows was only made for him. The sun is shining directly into his eyes and he is only able to make out a vague blurred outline of the person laying beside him*…_ Stiles get up!

* _The blurred image slowly sharpens into focus and Stiles is beginning to make out the handsome chiseled features of the dark haired man staring back longingly with love in his eyes only for him. The man smiles his blinding white smile at him and whispers…_ *"STILES WHY IN GODS NAME IS THERE MUD ALL OVER THE BATHROOM FLOOR AND TUB!!!!

Stiles bolts up into the sitting position, knocking his covers off of his body at once. He stubbles quickly to his feet kicking a half empty bowl of water across his floor. "Coming Dad!" He says, stomping through the newly formed puddles as he finds the door knob, jerking the door open.

Stiles' vision clears as he makes his way across the hall to the open bathroom door his father is currently occupying. "What's up Pops? Stiles says finishing his jerky zombie walk to the doorframe.

Leaning his head on his dad's shoulder, he looks around him and into the disaster zone that used to be the Stilinski's clean bathroom. Muddy footprints of both the canine and human variety are smeared across the once white tiles. Every towel they own is strewn over any thing that will hold them including one hanging precariously off of the ceiling light fixture. The tub and shower walls look like a family of muddy pigs have taken up residence.  
  
"Oh...right...well see....I had a really rough night last night". Stiles says not looking his father directly in the eyes.

"Stiles, I only want to know if anyone was hurt or killed in here last night?" The Sheriff says using his official police business voice.

"God No Dad! I was here by myself." Stiles says looking at his dad in shock.

"Good, then I don't need to know. What I don't know won't hurt me. Clean this mess up now, and lets not speak of it again!" His dad says slapping him on the back." I am beat, I am going sleep like the dead today!" He says walking into his room and shutting the door. "Have a good day son".

Stiles chuckles to himself as he gathers up all the towels, throwing them into the hamper. "I didn't think that I made this much of a mess". Stiles mutters to himself as he takes the disinfectant spray bottle from under the counter.

He thinks back on the condition he found the wolf in last night and begins to wonder how such a powerful creature from a month ago could end up in this current state. Did he get into a fight with another wolf or pack of wolves? Maybe he got hit by a car? Did some asshole hunter shoot him or catch him in a trap and he escaped to find his human, Stiles?

It takes Stiles a half hour to clean up the remnants of last nights wolf bath and the theories become wilder as the time drags on. Maybe he is the last intelligent alien wolf on his planet and he had to fight his way here to earth to find the one human, Stiles, who can save his planet.

Stiles laughs out loud at this last one as he puts the spray bottle back under the cabinet. "Well I better go check on Sleeping Beauty and take him outside to do his business before I have another mess to clean up.

Stiles turns off the bathroom light and heads back to his bedroom with a sly smile creeping across his face. "Wake up Sourwolf. Old Stilesy here is going to make you a big wolfy breakfast to fatten you back up!"

Stiles creeps through his bedroom towards the big lump underneath his pile of blankets. "Here I come boy". he says holding his hands out in front of him ready to pounce on the sleeping wolf.

Stiles grabs the edge of the blanket and pulls back the corner quickly saying "Get up lazy bones!"

To his surprise there is nothing there but two pillows bunched together haphazardly. Stiles pulls the blankets and sheets from the bed more frantically now looking for his missing friend.

"Come on buddy...Where are you hiding?" Stiles says questionably.

Bending down quickly looking under the bed to see if the wolf managed to squeeze in with the cluttered mess currently there, his disappointment growing as he discovers the wolf is not there either. He moves on to the closet and again no wolf to be seen.

Frustrated Stiles opens the door to his room and jogs down the hall, taking the stairs two at a time until he reaches the living room. He quickly scans the room for places big enough for the wolf to hide and goes from spot to spot desperate to find the wolf.

Ten minutes of searching the house top to bottom yield no clues to his disappearance. Surely he didn't imagine the wolf coming back last night. He had just spent the last half hour cleaning up the muddy evidence all over the bathroom to prove he was here.

Stiles makes his way back to his room and notices that the window is halfway open. It is a big enough gap, that a wolf who really wanted to leave, could squeeze through. There are long black hairs caught between the wood frame and the window showing further proof of the wolf's escape during the night.

He throws himself back down on the bed while holding back the tears threatening to breach the surface. Stiles closes his eyes and thinks sadly to himself, not only did Lydia and Scott leave him for school today, but so did the wolf. He even squeezed through a window and jumped off a roof like a circus animal just to get away from me. "What is the matter with me?" He thinks.

He missed Scott.

He missed Lydia.

He missed the large black wolf.

He was alone again.

He doesn't want to call Scott or Lydia and ruin their first new day of their new lives with his petty problems. Sure they would listen to him, try to cheer him up.

Lydia would say something great like "What does not kill you only makes you stronger". She would tell him that he is a catch and get out there and make life happen for himself. She would text a cute kitten picture after they hung up knowing that he had a weakness for cute kitten pictures.

Scott would tell him a joke or quote something inspirational from the recent Batman movie. He would promise an all nighter of Mario Kart when he got set up that evening.

His friends love him but he feels abandoned. They have moved on with there lives. He knows it is only a matter of time before it becomes glaringly obvious for him. He needs to move on too, but how, when he drowning in the memories of his friends that surround him.

If only he could get back to that dream he was having. The one where he was in the presence of someone who truly loved him. Someone who would never leave him lonely. The beautiful stranger in the sunlight, holding his hand, making him feel calm, and at peace with the world.

_*Stiles does fall back into sleep.*_

_*This time he is dreaming of a large black wolf running along a heavily forested path.*_

_*The muscles rippling under his fur showing the raw strength the creature possesses.*_

_*Jumping over fallen trees, chasing down it's prey.*_

_*He is running wild.*_

_*He is running free.*_

_*Like he is meant to be.*_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much Stiles feels! It's too much! I hope you are enjoying this so far.
> 
> I have a feeling that Derek is going to be coming soon.
> 
> Where is Sourwolf? He may just pop up again too... We will see... * Suspense is growing*
> 
> Let me know what you guys think so far:)


	4. No Experience Necessary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles goes to work and learns what new challenges face him this summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mention of Original Character death in this chapter (not gruesome)  
> Real life is hitting Stiles hard!
> 
> Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think.

* * *

  

Stiles wakes up a short while later. He checks the alarm clock on the nightstand and it reads 3:14 PM. He has to be at the diner in 45 minutes to meet with Mr. Harris to go over his new responsibilities as the evening assistant manager, and he has already missed the bus to get him to work on time.

Jumping up out of his bed, he makes his way to the closet to look for a clean shirt and pair of jeans. Dressing quickly, Stiles sprints down the stairs slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder as he runs out of the house. Grabbing his beat up rusted blue ten speed bike he has owned since he was eleven, Stiles takes off down the street like a bolt of lightning.

He is pushing it. He can't believe he fell back asleep this morning and now has overslept and missed the bus. He doesn't want to be late on his first day as assistant manager. Stiles pedals faster, the houses and woods becoming a blur on either side of him. He speeds through the center of town earning a few glaring looks and shouts of " Slow down" or "Watch it kid" as he speeds down the center of Main Street, weaving through cars and pedestrians alike.

Stiles veers left onto the road heading out of town towards the diner with ten minutes to spare. He has a two mile stretch of uphill riding with nothing but woods on either side of him. Breathing hard with the added strain of the uphill climb, Stiles stands up on the pedals and leans into the hill, sweat pouring down his face as the bike wobbles precariously side to side with each pedaling motion.

"This is ridiculous, I need a car!" Stiles huffs out as the diner comes into view minutes later. Stiles pulls the bike to a halt around the back entrance to the restaurant and leans his bike back between the wall and the fenced off dumpster. He wipes the sweat off of his face on the hem of his shirt as he pulls open the door to the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

He walks past Mr. Harris counting frozen hamburger patties in a box, a scowl on his face. "Your late Stilinski" he says tapping his finger on his wristwatch.

"Sorry Mr. Harris, I missed the bus, and had to ride my bike all the way out here and it's only 4:00 not so technically I am on time." Stiles says grinning.

"Why are you all wet? Go to the restroom and get yourself cleaned up". Harris says wrinkling his nose at Stile's appearance.

"Will do"Stiles says giving Harris a salute on his way out the kitchen.

"Meet me in my office when your done and we can go over your duties for the night shift" Harris says while marking a number down on his inventory sheet.

Stiles makes his way through the kitchen when he passes Debbie, the morning short order cook "Looks like you had a fun night Stiles" she says wagging her eyebrows in his direction. "Miss the bus again?"she questions as she goes back to chopping carrots into small uneven size circles.

"I bet it wasn't half as fun as your night was Deb. I have heard the rumors they tell about you around here" Stiles says winking back to her.

Deb stops cutting and laughs heartily at this"Your probably right Stiles, I've heard those old rumors too and they are not even the best stuff I've done"

Stiles laughs, grabbing a piece of carrot out of the bowl and popping it into his mouth. "What are you doing her so late? Where's Henry?"

Deb looks up from her cutting and says with a serious look on her face" Oh sweetie, didn't you hear that Henry had a heart attack. When he didn't show up for work two days ago, Harris called his son to check on him. His son found him dead on the floor of his garage when he came to look for him. The funeral is in two days." Deb takes a towel from her apron and wipes it to her eyes quickly. "I am just covering his shift tonight until Harris hires someone to replace him on night shift."

Stiles leans in and hugs Deb and says" I am sorry to hear about Henry. He was a grumpy old cuss, but he made the best Denver omelette in the state."

"He sure will be missed here" Deb says grabbing the bowl and the knife and heading to the back of the kitchen without another word.

Stile walks into the small employee washroom and begins to clean up. He thinks of all the shifts he worked with the grouchy old cook, and how he would always answer Stile's questions with short grunts or a gruff wave of the hand. He can't believe that Henry is gone too. Henry had been working at the diner as long as he could remember. He would make Stiles chocolate chip pancakes with a whip cream smiley face when he used to come here with his parents when he was little.

He was the usual cook that Stiles worked most of his shifts with after getting a job here two years ago. Henry and Stiles weren't exactly what you would call close, but he was one of the only people Stiles has met that could put up with his nonstop chattering and abrupt changes in topics without losing his mind and screaming at the teen to shut up. Henry would just continue to cook as Stiles would lean against the counter talking away. Henry would only respond with the occasional "Aye" or a snort, but he always listened with interest to the teen. Stiles thought that he probably was just lonely and just grateful for the companionship. Now he was gone. Stiles doesn't even remember what the last thing he said to him was about. Probably something dumb like the micro organisms in the coleslaw, or how fast the lion fish were destroying the wildlife sanctuaries off the coast of Florida.

He was going to miss the way Henry would slam the plates of food down in the window and hit the bell with the flat part of his greasy spatula as a way to announce that your order was up. Stiles glanced at the grease covered bell on his way back through the kitchen to Harris' office.  
"See ya Henry" Stiles muttered as he lightly rang the bell.

 

* * *

   
Stiles knocks on the open door as he walks in after Harris waves him in.

"Shut the door and have a seat" Harris says pointing at a chair filled with a stack of papers.

Stiles eyes the stack nervously as he moves it to the floor managing to not drop and scatter the papers around the room.

"Stiles, I am sure you have heard about Henry by now" Harris says

"Yes Sir, Deb, just told me" Stiles says looking down at a spot on his shoe.

"Well I am sure you know that that Henry worked here a lot of years and will be missed by everyone. I know that you two worked a lot together and that's why I called you in so we can talk about his replacement." Harris says pulling out several applications from a pile on his desk.

"What do you want me to do wit this?" Stiles asks looking at the papers with disgust like they might be covered in flesh eating bacteria.

"I want you to call in these applicants and interview them for the night shift short order cook position. Deb can only work double shifts for so long. I had to bribe her to do it so I could still go on vacation tomorrow." Harris says exasperated. "It has been years since I have been able to leave this place, and my tickets for my two week cruise to Hawaii are non refundable".

"So you want me to hire Henry's replacement, train them how to cook the menu, and run the restaurant while you're gone for two weeks?" Stiles sarcastically? "Is there anything else?"

"Oh yes one more thing, If the person you hire doesn't wow me by the time I return, then I will be hiring for two new positions, cook and assistant manager. Got it?" Harris asks looking Stiles directly in the eyes. "No funny business while I am gone. Deb can handle the day shift and you are in charge at night."

"Yes Captain, my Captain!" Stiles says with a flourish of his hand from his head to his heart while giving a small bow.

"I mean it Stiles, I will have my spy's reporting back to me. If you do well we will talk about that raise and if not, you'll be looking for a new job." Harris says standing up and walking out of the office door. "I'll see you in two weeks." and with that he walks out of the kitchen and leaves.

 

* * *

  

"Ok, Lets see what we got here" Stiles says looking down at the applications as he closes the office door. Thinking that this is the time he needs to make the best decision of his young life, the raise Harris talked to him about two weeks ago when offering him the promotion was substantially more than what he made now as a waiter. He wouldn't have to worry about his school financial needs next year if he could bring in this amount of money on top of his tips. He needed to weight his decision carefully about who he hired to be the next night cook.

After looking through the small stack of applications Stiles whittles the applicants down to zero. Two of them had been arrested by Stiles' dad and held in the drunk tank more times than he could count, another one was a bully two years older than him, and no way was he bringing Chuck Myers back into his everyday life. The last one had looked promising until he called him in for an interview and he both told him that he had found a job earlier today at the mall. So much for having quality applicants.

Stiles gets up and walks back out of the office and looks out into the restaurant. It is completely dead, no customers in sight. He sees that Deb is leaning on the counter with her eyes closed. She has been here since 5AM and looks dead on her feet. He calls out to her" Hey Deb".

She startles awake looking at Stiles and laughs" Yeah, sorry not used to the long hours on my feet."

"Why don't you cut out early, It's dead here tonight, and we usually are pretty slow. I can handle everything by myself." Stiles says.

"I can't leave you here by yourself, what if it gets busy?" Deb says.

"It never gets busy here at night, and besides Henry taught me to cook the whole menu." Stiles says thinking about the grumpy old cook. "Besides you have to get your Beauty sleep!" He says stepping back as she reaches out to snap him with a dish towel.

"Just for that smart ass remark, I am leaving, and I hope a bus full of hungry football players stops in after I am gone." She says grinning from ear to ear. " Don't bother calling me either, I am going to get my Beauty Sleep!". She says laughing as she walks into the break room grabbing her purse and keys. "Stay safe and see you tomorrow" and with that she turns and walks out the door.

Stiles looks around, Deb keeps the kitchen in top shape so there is nothing for him to do here. He walks out into the dining area and starts cleaning the booths along the large plate glass window. He looks out and sees that there are only the yellow glow of the parking lot lamps on and the darkness of the forest beyond. He waves to Deb as she pulls out of the parking lot in her old brown Ford Taurus.

He is officially alone in the restaurant. He finishes his cleaning and looks at his watch and sees that it is only 10PM. He still has two more hours and not a thing to do to occupy his time.

He pulls out his phone to see if there are any texts from Lydia or Scott and sees that there are none. He thinks about firing of a quick message to his friends just to say hello and to ask how their first day was but he thinks better of it. "I'll just call them tomorrow " He says to himself as he puts the phone back into his pocket.

Just then he hears the bell of the front door opening, and he gets to his feet.

A tall dark haired man wearing a leather jacket and tight fitting jeans walks in.  
He has a light dusting of dark stubble on his squared chiseled face. He looks like he walked right out of a G.Q. Magazine.

"Good Evening Sir. What can I do for you?" Stiles says feeling a sense that he can't quite place where he knows this man from.

The man sits down at the center of the counter as Stiles walks around behind it. "Coffee. Black" the man says in a low voice, his hazel eyes tracking Stiles movement around the counter.

"Coming right up" Stiles says grabbing a coffee cup off the counter and flipping it over in front of Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome. "Here you go" He said pouring a steaming cup of coffee into the mug.

The man grabs the mug and takes a large sip of the hot coffee, downing half of it in one gulp. He sets the mug down again and continues to stare right through Stile's soul.

Stiles refills his coffee when he sets the mug down on the counter and places the pot back on the burner. He is sure that he has seen this guy before but he can't place his name yet. "My name is Stiles, have I seen you around here before, you kinda look familiar?" he asks

"I see that you have a Help Wanted sign in the window. What position are you hiring for" the man asks still staring intently at Stiles.

"Night Shift Short Order Cook, are you interested in getting an application?" Stiles asks bending down and getting an application from under the counter. " What's your name?"

"Derek". The man says "Derek Hale"

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay Derek is here, and Stiles just hired him... I wonder what could go wrong there??? 
> 
> Please let me know what you think, leave me comments and Kudos!


	5. Out Of The Pan And Into The Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Stiles get reacquainted,as Derek comes back into Stiles' life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long time between chapters, busy week at work and to top it off I got sick. I didn't really like how the very end of chapter four finished so I changed it up a bit at the beginning of this chapter. I hope you like it I deleted my first attempt at this chapter and went a completely different way (hence the alternate ending of chapter 4)
> 
> I do not own Teen Wolf or it's characters, I just love them.
> 
> Let me know what you think.

* * *

 

  
_"You're Hired" Stiles hears himself say to Derek._

Stiles feels like the world is spinning. He is disoriented and feels that he is laying down on a hard surface. Slowly opening his eyes all he can see is a blurry image of a face standing over him, backlit by the bright fluorescent lighting of the diner. Realizing he is on the floor, he tries to pull his way up to a sitting position, which makes his vision double.

"Let me help you up." a low voice says. He pulls Stiles up off the floor and they make their way around the counter to the nearest booth.

"How did I get on the floor?" Stiles asks as the dark haired man helps him sit down.

"You hit your head pretty hard on the counter when you stood up and it knocked you out cold." He says.

"Yeah, that sounds like something I would do." Stiles says feeling his head with his fingers. There was a large lump forming on the top of his head.

"Here put this on your head, it will help with the swelling" the man says handing him a towel filled with ice.

Stiles looks up into the handsome man's hazel eyes and accepts the ice pack with a muttered "Thanks. It's a good thing you were here or I might have been on the floor all night."

"Actually I think it may be my fault you hit you head to begin with, after all I did ask about the sign in the window." the man says pointing to the small help wanted sign on the glass door. "I didn't think my name would cause such a reaction though." He says chuckling to himself.

"Did you say your name is Derek Hale or was that part of my vivid dream after I knocked myself out?" Stiles asks

"Yes Stiles I am Derek, it's been a long time since you have seen me." Derek says

"Derek, I can't believe it's you. You look so…" hot, beautiful, sex on a stick, Stiles thinks, "so grown up." Stiles says after a pause blushing.

"You look very grown up yourself Stiles" Derek says looking him slowly up and down his ears tipped in pink.

Stiles feels his face flush red under Derek's intense stare. Wanting to change the the topic of conversation to a more neutral subject, Stiles asks "When did you get back to Beacon Hills?"

Derek leans back in the booth and says "About a month or more."

"I heard rumors that you were back, but I asked around town and no one seemed to know where you were staying." Stiles says taking the ice off his head and placing it on the table.

"I have been moving from place to place and decided to come back here to check on things." Derek says quietly looking down at his hands folded on the table not wanting to meet Stiles' gaze.

Stiles reaches out and places his hand on top of Derek's calloused hands and squeezes them saying "I for one am glad you're back. I missed you my friend." He gives Derek a warm smile.

"I missed you too Stiles." Derek says looking up into his amber eyes.

"I better get to cleaning up or I'll be here all night." Stiles says as he starts to get up out of the booth. His vision swims in and out of focus as he sways grabbing the table for support. "Woah there"

Derek stands up quickly grabbing Stiles by the waist and sits him back down. "I think you better let me help you out. You are in no shape to stand up much less clean the kitchen, you could hurt yourself."

"I can't have you back there, you're not even an employee. Plus what do you know about cleaning a diner kitchen?" Stiles says grabbing table starting to stand again.  
  
"I have worked in several greasy spoons from here to New York. Lets just say I have been a wanderer and there are diner jobs open in every city that will hire a stranger passing through looking for work for a couple of months. I got this, sit down and put that ice back on your head." Derek says taking off his jacket and putting it around Stiles shoulders.

Stiles sits back in the booth wrapping himself in the warm leather jacket. He watches Derek walk back into the kitchen in his form fitting black tee shirt and tight faded jeans, his pulse quickening at the sight.  
He grabs the towel and places it back on his head. He closes his eyes and breathes deep taking in the earthy scent of grass, pine trees, and the slight hint of sweat that is Derek. He sighs feeling more relaxed than he has since Lydia and Scott left for school. He falls asleep to the sound of pots and pans clanging and Derek humming a familiar tune from his childhood.

 

* * *

 

  
* _He is in the Hale house. It is dark except for the glow of plastic stars on the ceiling above him. He hears the soft humming of Derek's voice in his ear and feels his fingers gently card through his hair. He knows he is in Derek's bed and that the older boy is laying down beside him trying to get him to fall asleep._

_His eyes are sore and puffy from crying. The aching loss he feels in his heart for his mother is overwhelming him beyond words. Stiles hasn't talked since his dad told him she passed more than a week ago in that cold hospital room. His dad has been dealing with the loss with the help of the whiskey bottle since the funeral and the Hales' have taken Stiles in until he can pull himself together. Derek has been the only person who could get him to eat or drink anything at all. He has been at Stiles' side since the terrible news was given to him._

_"Everything is going to be ok someday." Derek whispers gently to himself thinking the younger boy is asleep. "You'll see. I will always be here for you." He continues to stroke his hair gently and gently kisses the back of his head. "You are mine and I am yours."_

_The humming continues as Stiles drifts into unconsciousness._

_The fire that destroyed the Hale house happens a few weeks later and Derek leaves Beacon Hills and Stiles.*_

 

* * *

 

  
"Stiles wake up." Derek says gently placing his hand on Stiles' face.

Stiles slowly opens his eyes to see Derek looking at him with concern. "What time is it? How long have I been asleep?" He asks sitting up from his slumped position.

"It's 1:30am and you have been out for a couple hours." Derek says helping him to his feet."How are you feeling?"

"My head still hurts some but I think I will be ok to finish up. You shouldn't have let me sleep so long." Stiles says as he slowly makes his way back into the kitchen. "I need to make sure everything is done or Mr. Harris will have my ass."

He looks around the kitchen and sees that it is cleaner than he remembers it being since he has worked here. The grill is spotless and all of the stainless steel surfaces are brightly polished. The floors are swept and mopped. He continues his inspection into the walk in freezer where the food has been properly wrapped and dated. Finally ending his tour in the dishwashing area where the days worth of pots and pans are clean and drying on the rack and all of the trash had been taken out to the dumpster.

"Wow Derek, you got all of this done in a couple of hours by yourself, or do you have house elves working for you?" Stiles says in astonishment.

"What are house elves?" Derek asks, his left eyebrow raised. "Of course I did this alone, I told you I have done this kind of work before."

"Well it looks great in here!" Stiles says excitedly. "Thanks for the help Derek, you saved my ass tonight. I really owe you one."

"How about getting me that application then." Derek says with a grin.

"Oh, there is no need for that, the job's yours if you want it. I have to warn you though, the job doesn't pay well, but you do get free meals. It is usually slow here at night and you would be working with me as your only company." Stiles says hoping not to scare him off with listing off the bad details of the job.

"Well I never minded your company before. I think I can manage it if you can." Says Derek with a smile.

"Oh I think I can handle it." Stiles says. "Let's get out of here." He makes his way around the restaurant locking the front door and shutting off the lights. Five minutes later Stiles and Derek are walking out the back door when Stiles grabs his bike and starts to get on it.

"Do you need a ride home?" Derek asks. "It probably isn't a good idea to ride that back to town in the dark with that big bump on your head."

"I'll be ok, besides I need it to get to work tomorrow." Stiles says

"Seriously Stiles, just leave it here and I will take you home. I'll even pick you up for work tomorrow since we will be working together, it will be no problem." Derek says placing his hand on Stiles' arm and smiling.

"If it really isn't out of your way." Stiles says with hesitation in his voice.

"It's ok let's go." Derek says pushing the old bike back between the dumpster and the wall.

Stiles and Derek walk around the corner of the restaurant to the only car in the parking lot, a black 2010 Camaro.

"Nice car dude." Stiles says looking at the sports car in awe.

"It was Laura's, she gave it to me before she died." Derek says quietly as he gets into the driver's seat.

"I am sorry Derek" Stiles says somberly, "I really liked Laura, she was nice to me as a kid."

"She was all I had left after the fire…" Derek mutters looking down into his lap. "Now she is gone too…I have been alone for a long time, wandering from place to place, never staying anywhere too long before getting in this car and driving in no particular direction. After a long while, I ended up here back in Beacon Hills." Derek's says as tears brim his eyes.

"Derek, I don't know what the universe has in store for us, but I believe that we are destined to travel our own paths, and those paths sometimes merge with others going down similar paths. Maybe you are meant to be here now, with me, in this car tonight. " Stiles says rubbing his thumb across Derek's stubbled cheek, catching the fat tear rolling slowly down. "You were there for me during my greatest time of grieving when my mother died. Maybe I am supposed to be here for you, during yours."

Derek looks up into Stiles eyes, warmth filling his chest as he looks into his beautiful face, "Thank you Stiles, you have no idea what that means to me to hear you say that."

Derek leans into Stiles placing his hand behind the teen's head. Their lips come together in a soft kiss, chasing away the tears and melancholy of the moment . Stiles ends the kiss with a soft caress of Derek's cheek and whispers gently into his ear "Maybe you are here to rescue me too."

Derek looks at Stiles knowingly and after a long moment turns away and starts the car. The engine roars to life in the quiet empty parking lot. Derek pulls out onto the road and takes off towards town into the darkness.

 

* * *

 

 

Ten minutes later he is pulling up in front of Stiles' dark house. The sheriff's cruiser is not in the driveway.

"Derek do you have some place to stay?" Stiles asks his hand in Derek's.

"Yeah" Derek says.

"Ok well I guess I'll see you tomorrow? Pick me up at 3:30pm." Stiles says opening the car door. "Good night Derek, I am really glad you're back." Stiles says the warm smile returning to his face.

"Good night Stiles." Derek says smiling back as Stiles closes the car door and walks to the porch, pulling out his house key.

Derek watches the teen close the front door and a minute later the right upstairs window lights up. Derek can see Stiles' silhouette moving around the room getting ready for bed. Minutes later the light turns off and Derek hears the teen's heartbeat slow down and he knows he is asleep. "I am glad to be back here too." he says as he shifts the car into drive and slowly pulls away from the house not wanting to leave his newly found mate alone. Derek suddenly knows why he was drawn back to Beacon Hills, and he knows those amber eyes will be in his dreams tonight.

 

* * *

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay first kiss! Derek is back! Let me know what you think. This is unbetaed and I am on cold medicine so hopefully it made sense!


	6. New Adventures, New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles gets a call from Lydia. He decides to start an adventure of his own and go out to do something new, he meets some new friends along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I totally had this new idea for a series of one shots that tell an overarching story through the POV of different characters, each inspired by a different song, and it totally took over my brain. So I wrote part 1 of a 6 part series entitled Girl Crushed. I got that out of my system and it allowed me to continue on with the next chapter. If you are interested head to my works and check it out. Now back to originally scheduled program.
> 
> Enjoy:)

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Stiles wakes to the sound of his phone ringing on the nightstand next to him. Reaching blindly out of the blankets he is burrowed in, he drags the phone back into his nest, pulling the charger out of the outlet in the process. He mumbles out "Hello".

"Good morning sunshine." Lydia says in a cheerfully. "I had an extraordinary day yesterday and I wanted to share it with you first."

"That's great Lydia, tell me everything." Stiles says pulling the covers down from his head.

"The flight was amazing, I was in first class for the direct flight from LA to Boston. There was this gorgeous tall dark haired man that sat next to me. He of course started a conversation with me and discovered that we are both going to Harvard. His name is Colton, and he is studying Law in his third year. We shared a cab to campus and I had dinner with him and his friends last night. I met his roommate, Dylan who is studying physics and will be my TA this summer. They invited me to lunch today, which I am heading out to now, then we are going to see the symphony play Bach in the Park."

"Wow Lydia, sounds like you are really fitting in there." Stiles says trying to keep the jealousy out of his voice.

"Uh huh, and how are things back in Beacon Hills?" Lydia asks noting the change in Stile's voice. "Is everything ok at the diner?"

"Well I had to hire a new night cook on my first day as assistant manager." Stiles says as Lydia interrupts him.

"Hey Stiles, I gotta go, Colton is here to pick me up for lunch, I'll Skype you later, kisses." Lydia says making a small smooching sound.

"Sure Lyds, have fun. I'll talk to you later." Stiles says, the phone disconnecting before getting all of the words out. Setting his phone down on the nightstand he sees that the clock shows that it is 8:00am. He knows that it is too early to call Scott, so he lays back down, pulling the covers over his head again.

Closing his eyes he thinks how Lydia has jumped into her new life, finding a new group of friends, and most likely a new love interest within moments of leaving Beacon Hills. He wishes that Lydia and Scott were here now, they would probably be hanging out at Lydia's pool. Scott and Stiles having races and cannonball contests to see who could make the biggest splash, while Lydia would be laying out on her chaise lounge beach chair, flipping through the pages of some French fashion magazine commenting on the latest styles. How many Sunday afternoons did they spend like that? He never dreamed those days would have an expiration date, he feels like he has taken them for granted, and he would give anything to go back in time and just soak up the experiences of being care free and oblivious to what's to come. He lays there for a while, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him.

 

* * *

 

  
Stiles throws back the covers and sits up forcefully. He is not going to allow himself to stay in bed feeling sorry for himself all day. If Scott and Lydia can have a fresh start and a new adventure then why can't he. Jumping out of bed he gets ready for the day, leaves a note for his dad on the kitchen counter saying he is going out, he grabs his keys and heads out the door.

The sky is a brilliant shade of blue and free from clouds, the sun warm on his skin, he takes in a deep breath, the smell of pine and freshly mown grass filling his nostrils. He steps off the porch and begins walking into town, enjoying the summer breeze on his face. The neighborhood is buzzing with activity, sounds of kids playing ball in the distance, old Mrs. Fletcher tending to her extensive flower garden, and Mr. Drakeshire mowing the lawn in his perfect stripe pattern. He waves and says hello to each in turn, and even throws a stray hit ball back to the group of kids as he passes by. Everyone says hello to him, it's a small town and he is the Sheriff's son, so they know who he is after all.

Stiles jogs the last hundred feet or so to the bus stop as he sees the city bus there, door open, waiting for him to catch up. Sally the bus driver gives him a huge smile and says "Good Morning Stiles."

"You are looking lovely today Sally, I love the new hairdo" Stiles says, swiping his bus pass through the card reader. Sally has platinum blond shoulder length hair ending in fluorescent pink tips, her bangs are tipped in pink, and the underneath layer of hair is pink as well, resulting in a cool shimmering effect. "Very Punk Rock, pink is definitely a good look for you!" he says giving her a high five.

Blushing Sally says "Thanks Stiles it's from my new wig collection. I just made this one last week and have been dying to wear it out."

Sally is the local hairstylist, wig maker, costume designer for the local community theater group, and part time bus driver on weekends to make money to support her ten year old daughter as a single mom. Her husband Mike worked with Stile's dad at the Sheriff Department, but was killed in an accident labeled as wild animal attack. Some people think that she is weird, always wearing some newly designed creation and her hair is always different every time he sees her. Sally often wore her new wig designs on her bus routes as a way to advertise. Stiles thinks that she is courageous for doing whatever it takes to provide for her daughter. Stiles often helps out doing odd jobs around her house and sometimes babysits for her daughter Kristy since Mike's death.

"Well I think you will definitely sell out of these." Stiles says smiling and sitting down in the empty seat behind her. He looks around the bus and notices it is empty but for the two of them. "Slow morning?"

"Yeah, it seems like everyone else is either sleeping in or staying working outdoors this beautiful Sunday. Looks like I am your personal chauffeur for the morning." She says tipping an imaginary hat off her head.

She smiles back at him through the oversized rear view mirror and asks "Where you headed? Lydia's or Scott's house, I know it's too early for you to be heading to the diner."

"Naw, Lydia and Scott moved to college yesterday and I work nights at the diner as assistant manager, which you need to stop by with Kristy some night, your meals are on me. I am going downtown to look for something new to do, get out of my usual routine." Stiles says nonchalantly trying to not let the hurt come back into his voice.

Sally glances up through the mirror at him concern flickering across her face for a second be for she replaces it with a huge grin. "Ooh I know what you should do, there is this new coffee house on Main and 3rd Street that just opened, The Purr-fect Cup, it has a bunch of cats in different rooms, and you order your coffee and sit and relax with a new feline friend. They are up for adoption and everything, it is supposed to be fun and relaxing."

"Yeah, I guess I could be up for some kitty and coffee action." Stiles says sitting back in the chair. "I am ready to get my purr on."

The bus pulls a stop on the corner of Main and Third, and Stiles gets up and walks out of the door. "Have a great day Sally, and tell Kristy hello for me." He says.

"You too Stiles. Try not to have a cuteness overdose from all the kitty snuggles in there." She says giving him a wink and closing the bus door.

 

* * *

 

  
Stiles walks into the red brick building with the sign saying The Purr-fect Cup. He is immediately amazed at the sight, there are a maze of walk ways, shelves, and cubby holes built along the walls at various heights giving the cats a place to retreat from the human foot traffic on the ground, large coffee cup shaped cat beds where several cats have taken to nap in nestled together in big piles, and cats of all colors, breeds, and sizes laying around everywhere.

A particular friendly orange tabby comes up to him and starts to rub around his ankles purring loudly like a motor boat. Stiles bends down and scratches lightly behind his ears and notices he is wearing a green collar that has the name Von Zipper on it.

"Well hey there Von Zipper" Stiles says smiling down at his new furry friend.

The tabby immediately flops down on his side and exposes his belly to the teen, demanding tummy rubs to which Stiles happily complies, using the tips of his fingers to gently rub through his soft fur . Von Zipper rolls around side to side purring even more loudly.

"You sure are a silly boy, aren't you?" He asks the feline using his best baby talk voice.

"You'll be there all day with that one." A tall, curly haired boy, around his age says to him from behind the counter. "He is the official customer greeter and cuddle-bug. He says with a grin on his face.

Stiles gives the cat the last few scratches on his belly, then stands up and walks over to the counter. "He sure is sweet."  
He says as he reaches the counter looking up at the small chalk board menu. "What's good here?" Stiles as looking into the smiling teen's face.

"Well that depends on how adventurous your feeling today. If you are looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth, then the caramel latte is the thing to try. If you are daring and want something with a kick there's the Mexican Spiced Mocha which has cinnamon and chili pepper, but if your really adventurous you can have The Cold Brew Lemonade, it's basically a coffee lover's take on an Arnold Palmer." The barista says eyes lighting up as he describes each of the drinks in turn.

"Normally, I'd go for the sweet drink, but i am feeling adventurous today, give me the Cold Brew Lemonade." Stiles says smiling back at the guy.

"Good choice man." The barista says grabbing the necessary ingredients to make the beverage. "Your name is Stiles right?" He asks, looking up from the concoction to see that Stiles has shaken his head yes in return. "How's summer going so far?"

"Oh, kinda boring actually, I just go to work at the diner for the night shift and back home again, not to many things filling up my social calendar since graduation." Stiles says thinking again of his friends, feeling the knot of sorrow forming in his stomach again. Quickly shaking the feeling off he says "I thought I would try something new, so here I am."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, I only see my friend Erica when I come in for the afternoon shift and our schedules overlap for a few hours. She usually works mornings but I am covering for her today." He says handing Stiles a drink that fades from a bright yellow of the lemonade at the top down to a deep dark roast brown of the coffee. "You might want to mix it up for the full experience."

Stiles takes the cold beverage, stirs his straw around it a couple of times and takes a small sip. Flavor explodes across his tastebuds as he looks up at the barista with a huge smile spreading across his face. "Dude! That is awesomeness in a glass." Stiles says taking a larger gulp of the lemony coffee drink and smacking his lips. "You are a coffee god among us mere mortals." He's says finishing the drink and setting it down on the counter. "Dude you gotta make me another one of those!" He says with giddiness in his voice.

The teen takes the empty glass and sets it aside in a small sink. He begins the task of making a new drink saying "I am glad you liked it, and my name is Issac by the way." He says holding out his hand to shake with Stiles.

Stiles grips the offered hand and gives it a shake followed by a high five. "Issac with coffee skills like that I think you just may be my new best friend." He says laughing feeling his caffeine buzz kick in.

Issac looks up from his task to see if Stiles is laughing at him and sees the teen looking back, eyes twinkling and a genuine smile plastered on his face. "You probably don't remember but I sat behind you in Mrs. Buckley's American History class last year." Issac says shyly.

"I don't remember much about that class period as Mrs. Buckley' voice had a way of lulling me to sleep everyday." Stiles says thinking back to see if he remembers the teen. "Sorry Issac, I don't really remember, but if it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't have know if the Queen of England or Lady GaGa was sitting behind me in that class. _I mean Buckley's voice was like a natural melatonin to me_." He says mimicking her soft deep voice and pretending to fall asleep at the end, head rolling to the side."

"That was a good impression, your pretty funny Stiles." Issac says laughing and handing him his second glass of the cold lemony coffee drink. "That will be $6.00 for both drinks."

Stiles hands him a ten dollar bill and is quickly given his change which he stuffs all four singles into the nearly empty clear tip jar next to the register. "There you go dude, you earned it!" Stiles says taking a smaller sip of his drink, savoring the flavor. He starts to walk away thinking it is too bad that both he and Issac are going to have boring lonely summers when he thinks, what the hell, they just spent the last ten minutes laughing and having easy conversation between them. Thinking the old Stiles would just let the opportunity for making a new friend pass him by, he mutters to himself "What do I have to lose?"

He turns back towards Issac and says smiling "Hey Issac, you like to play Mario Kart?"

"Yeah I love it! I haven't played in a couple of years since my dad sold my Nintendo." Issac says

"No problem, I have it at my house, maybe you could come over sometime in the morning since we both work the evening shifts. Let's exchange numbers." Stiles says handing Issac his phone. He quickly types his info in Issac's contacts and snaps a selfie of him and a calico cat named Bootsie Collins trying to paw at his straw. He looks at the picture on the phone and laughs. The cat's eyes bulging in surprise, mouth in mid-meow, looking like it had just seen a ghost, Stiles in full duck lips, eyes squinting for the camera. Stiles sets the picture as his contact so it will come up when he calls the teen, and hands the phone back to Issac.

"I don't really have any plans mostly due to the lack of friends" Issac says looking down in his empty contact list. There was just a few names listed, a couple of take out places and the cafe, none of them having a picture attached to it but Stiles'.

"Well I think you are someone I would like to get to know and be friends with, so turn that frown upside down mister." Stiles says slapping Issac's shoulder.

Issac looks up from his phone smiling and says" Thanks Stiles, maybe we can hang out later this week. I gotta ask my dad first, he gets mad if he doesn't know where I am."

"No problem dude, I am never busy before 4pm and since Scott and Lydia left for college, It's just me and my dad."

"He won't mind me coming over will he?" Issac asks hesitantly.

"No way, he works all the time at the station and he was used to Scott always being over." Stiles says reassuringly.

"Ok then, I would really like that, if your sure it's ok?" Issac says

"Issac, I promise it's no big deal, plus I think you and I need to have a little fun this summer, I mean we graduated, we have full time jobs, we need to blow off a little steam with some action packed kart racing!" Stiles exclaims pumping his fist in the air.

"You're right let's get our kart on!" Issac says enthusiastically mimicking Stiles' fist pump grinning like an idiot.

"Hold it there." Stiles says snapping a picture with his phone of Issac. "Yes that's awesome, and your new contact picture." He saves the picture to Issac's contact.

"Oh no, I looked really dumb just now, you can't have that pop up every time I call or you won't pick up." Issac says nervously eyeing Stiles' phone.

Stile dials Issac's number and the curly hair teen's cell begins to ring. "No dude I would totally pick up the phone anytime someone calling me looks like they are having this much fun." He says showing the picture on his phone to Issac. The teen completely lost in the moment looking truly happy and free. "Plus who could resist duck lips like these." Stiles says pointing to his picture of Bootsie Collins and him lit up on Issac's phone.

Issac laughs and begins to relax again. Stiles hangs out at the cafe talking and joking around with Issac. They soon discover they have a lot more in common other than their love for video games, coffee drinks, and cuddly kitties. They both collect comic books and love any movies made by Marvel. They both don't have any friends or close relatives in town. They both lost their mothers at an early age, and live alone with their dads. Stiles thinks Issac has a different kind of relationship with his dad than Stile's does, as he tends to steer the conversation quickly away from that topic. He thinks there's a darker story there seeing as Issac always seems jumpy and nervous anytime Stiles talks about his own father or casually mentions his.

Time flies by quickly as the two new friends get acquainted, minutes turning to hours. Issac has relatively few customers and stops to serve them as they place their order. Eventually Stiles looks at his phone and sees that it is 1pm. He hugs Issac goodbye and ruffles his curly hair telling him he will start stockpiling the junk food for their Mario Kart extravaganza later in the week.

Issac punches him in the arm, hands going to his hair making sure that it is not a mess and goes back behind the counter to help a lady who just walked in. "See ya later, alligator." He says giving Stiles smile and a wink.

"After while crocodile." Stiles says back, a shocked expression on his face. That had been his and Scott's goodbye since they were little, and now Issac had just said it just as naturally as Scott would have to him.

Stiles opens the door to leave, waving back through the window to his new friend. Jogging across the street to catch the bus that will take him back home, he sees that he has a notification on his Facebook App. Clicking it open he sees that it is a friend request from Issac Lahey. He quickly hits the accept button and clicks over to Issac's page. What he sees is heartbreaking, Issac only has two friends, Erica Reyes his coworker and Stiles Stilinski. There are no photos of a smiling Issac with a buddy, or a group of friends to be seen anywhere on his page. It's almost as if he just created the account five minutes ago, but he sees he has been on Facebook for the last 5 years. Stiles quickly posts the goofy pictures of himself with the cat and Issac in his full moment of happiness. He tags Issac in both so they show up on his wall. He makes a mental note to keep his camera ready for such occasions as to fill up Issac's Facebook page with many funny and happy memories.

 

* * *

 

  
Recipe for the coffee drink Issac made for Stiles can be found below and at the following article:

Here’s what you’ll need:

1-2 oz lemon juice  
20-30 g simple syrup  
4-5 oz water  
4-5 oz cold brew (check our blog post on cold brew for recipes)  
Ice  
Rich Simple Syrup

100 g demerara sugar  
110 g hot water  
Mix until dissolved, then chill.

Start by making the lemonade base - combine the lemon juice, simple syrup, and water in your cup. Now, every lemon is going to be a bit different, so we recommend alternating the syrup and water and tasting as you go. You want a lemonade that’s slightly tart and not too sweet, as the cold brew you add later will be slightly bitter and sweet on its own.

Once you’ve got a lemonade flavor that you’re happy with, add ice to the cup and top up with cold brew. Give the drink a stir, and you’re ready to kick back and sip happy!

Written by steve.rhinehart on Jul 15th, 2016  
https://prima-coffee.com/blog/article/5-iced-coffee-drinks-summer

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay Stiles and Issac get a friend! I hope you enjoyed! Derek will be picking up Stiles for work soon and they have their first shift together. Also try out the coffee recipe Issac made for Stiles, found at the end. I have a feeling Issac may be adding new concoctions later on.
> 
> Please leave comments and kudos if you liked it or if you tried the coffee! I appreciate each and everyone! You guys and gals are awesome!
> 
> Also check out my new series The Lyrical Lives of Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski and read part 1 Girl Crushed.
> 
> Thank you!!!


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